Blooming Wild
by Royal blueKitsune
Summary: Five years ago she'd accepted his offer and entrusted her heart to him. That made her his to love and care for. She just didn't know it yet. HikaruxLantis
1. Chapter 1

My long term project for this fandom - one which I hope I'll never abandon!

I bring to you an epic twist of all those stories that have the girls returning to Cephiro. It's gotta happen the other way around sometime, don't you think? Hikaru/Lantis as the main couple of course - the ship of awesomeness - and many other quirky pairings right up there. Just wait and see...I have plans for this baby!

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Part 1

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Clef couldn't believe what he was seeing. Couldn't believe that things were unfolding the way they were...he was probably cursed to train wayward charges because, until now, each and every one of them had gone against his wishes and done something incredibly _stupid_. Like one of his most level-headed and mature students was doing _now_.

A few feet away from him, Lantis busied himself with tightening belts and buckles and securing the reins - in terse silence - of his summoned beast; completely ignoring his presence.

_Bullheaded._

_Stubborn._

Lantis was still not listening to him. _No._ His pupil was showing him exactly how much he valued his master's opinion right now. And such a receival of his opinion - never before done with such indifference and perhaps even a touch of disrespect - baffled the Master Mage...

"This is madness. You can _not_ possibly leave Cephiro."

Nothing. Lantis didn't even bother to look at him in any way - instead checking his provisions like the good little soldier he was. Obviously having thought his every action down to the minutest detail; when...the mage couldn't quite understand. Or maybe didn't want to.

Understanding would surely lead to the conclusion that Lantis was not leaving on a whim, but rather that he'd been analyzing this possibility for the last five years or so. Ever since that time had come and gone...

And Clef was weary of coming to the conclusion that all his pupils chose, sooner or later, to disobey him in some way. Be it terribly damaging or not.

He gripped his staff harder and a spark of lightning traveled through the blue gem. But he couldn't...not here. It was _unthinkable_ of him to act so rash.

"Do you think that just because you fell in love with a slip of a mortal girl who became a Magic Knight, you get to do what you want again?"

The tension rose a notch, heating the air and electrifying the atmosphere between them and Clef pursed his lips when Lantis turned to regard him with eyes so light in hue that they seemed to have changed from violet to blue.

Of course! Of course that _Hikaru_ would be the reason why this was all happening - though she certainly wasn't to blame directly. It wasn't like Lantis was _fleeing_ Cephiro for any other reason but her. His beloved Magic Knight.

"Watch yourself, Master Mage." Lantis intoned, coldly enough that the shield hanging above the entrance frosted over; a sign that the control over his magic was only skin deep at the moment. A sort of warning. "You were the one who taught me lightning and ice based attacks and I won't shy from using them against anyone who insults _her_. You can't stop me from doing whatever I want."

"Do you think that you can go to this _Tokyo_ place, Lantis? You do not possess the power of the gods...it's illogical to consider that they will help you unless you pay a hefty price - and even then, _think_ of the consequences please! You don't know the language, the people, you'll most likely have to renounce your knowledge of magic." One last try, Clef thought despairingly, one last effort to convince him. Even though he himself didn't believe half of the things he was saying - as long as Lantis was convinced, he would try until the end.

Lantis raised his head to look at the dawn and in his eyes Clef saw the unshakable determination, which his older brother had once shared. "Do you honestly think you are helping your cause by telling me all this? I relish the thought of such simple things...even I am tired of acting courtly by day and slaying monsters by night."

"Her wish rid us of many problems..."

"Her wish took almost all her heart and nearly killed her in the process." The intensity in his voice was so unusual that Clef couldn't help but be speechless in front of such a passionate outburst. From Lantis of all people. "Hikaru gave and gave and all Cephiro did was take everything she had to offer - her heart, her love, her strength - and then send her back home as soon as it no longer needed her aid."

Lantis turned his back at him to reign in his anger, but even the dim light couldn't quite hide the forceful way he was clenching his fist at his side.

_Lantis had always been a great swordsman - greater than Lafarga - and a skilled mage - with enough willpower and mental resources to equal the fearsome power of Zagato - and before he'd left Cephiro, Clef had always considered him to be tame and docile. He'd always blended perfectly in court and he'd always done whatever was required of him obediently._

All of his actions had been dictated by the necessity to protect the innocents around him; without asking anything for himself, except a home and perhaps a few small favors from time to time.

But ever since he'd returned to Cephiro, it had slowly become obvious that he'd gained a new edge to his already iron will. A possessiveness which a knight of the land should've never had. A readiness to fulfill his own desires as well.

"_Umi_," the name of the third knight came as a guilty afterthought, "and Fuu were just as important as Hikaru was. I do not hear them praised to the high heavens for their sacrifices!"

Lantis smiled from across his shoulder, knowingly, eyes dark but cool. "I thought that praising them was yours and the Prince's job. For me, those knights can only be friends and nothing more, but," Clef blinked to dispel the brief - incredible - likeness of Lantis with his brother at the very moment, "you seem to be a bigger fool than I thought."

"_Excuse me?_"

"What else could I call a man who mourns the loss of the woman he loves yet does nothing to get to her, even though the oportunity is presented to him?"

His lips curled downwards and his eyes reflected displeasure again. "And I won't even mention Ferio. I thought that he was braver than to cower behind his royal robes. I thought his devotion to the Wind Knight was more important than his position."

Clef slammed his staff in the marble floor, creating a visible dent, and frowned thunderously. _"And who will rule this forsaken country of peace if not Ferio?"_

"Of course, Master Mage," Lantis murmured almost patently dutiful, "I am sure that Ferio, who was forced to survive the cruelties of an outside life, with no one to help him and no family background to keep him going, is as fit to rule this country as much as anyone else in Cephiro."

Clef inhaled sharply and opened his mouth to say something...but found himself oddly at a loss of proper words.

Because he didn't make a point of lying to himself and others and because Ferio was indeed not as fit to rule as, perhaps, Emeraude had been.

Lantis didn't seem to want to bother with useless answers anyway, choosing to settle himself proudly on the saddle of his black steed - Saigon - and drawing his cape closer, to ward off the chill of the early day.

Preparing to ride off.

"If you'll give me leave, I will be on my way now. I know when I have overstayed my welcome and the way to the Fire Shrine is still many days away." He lowered his head in an informal sign of respect and murmured thoughtfully, "Just remember - there are still two more rune Gods in this land. What can be worse than failure?"

There were no goodbyes said. Clef watched as Lantis rode by him, slowly picking up speed as he approached the ledge and finally plunging into the bright sunrise and out of sight...

And somehow, it felt surreal to loose yet another of the few people he had kept close to himself for the last few centuries, Clef thought sadly.

He sighed.

The High Council would not be happy to hear that the second ranked Mage - the only Magic Swordsman to boot - had chosen to shirk his duties in such a way.

Another boundary against possible enemies gone, most likely never to return...

This was bound to turn into an awful mess.

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I always did think that Lantis did what he wanted. He's in character and very much sexy. xD


	2. Chapter 2

I haven't updated a story so fast in too long...proves how much I'm enjoying this! ^^;

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Part 2

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These days, Hikaru found herself rarely talking and often listening. Listening, nodding, smiling, _repeat, _laughing, pretending, not missing Lantis, _repeat_. So on and so forth. There was only one week left until the day she'd been forced to return to her home. Alone. One week and everything would be as it was a year ago. Or perhaps six years? She wasn't so sure…

It was probably enough to make anyone depressed. Just because she could cheer up other easier than most, laugh and forgive without a second thought, celebrate her brother's twenty-fifth anniversary with gusto and go out with Umi and Fuu – quality time between girls - like nothing was wrong…didn't mean that it wasn't.

During the day she went to college, busied herself with mundane chores that needed to be done – she was proud of her apartment more than anyone else – and three times a week, weekend not withstanding, visited her older brothers…just to make sure that they hadn't murdered each other during sparring sessions. Satoru couldn't keep an eye on everything by himself. He had his fleeting girlfriends to occupy his time too.

During the evenings and nights she studied dutifully, cooked if the occasion asked for it - something light that wouldn't burn down the house - and more often than not burrowed herself on her couch and watched sappy stories, romantic comedies, action and scary movies in an effort to get the _it_ that was haunting her out of her system. As long as she didn't call it by its given name – _longingsolitudesoaloneLantis – _she had nothing to worry about.

She wondered what he would think if he saw her now. Had he changed? Surely she had changed a lot.

Gone the flat-chested, short little girl she had been at fourteen, gone the messy hair and the blatant disregard for her feminine side; it wasn't that Hikaru cared if men saw her as a girl or a boy now, she'd been getting a lot of attention at the age of fourteen too (Lantis was the best example, right?), but…seeing perfect, poised and beautiful Umi and lovely, smart and charming Fuu every day was more than enough to give a girl the momentum to grow up.

Hikaru still remembered, with a healthy dose of amusement, the explosive reaction, of several people actually, that followed when she'd suddenly returned from school one afternoon with a somewhat more _chic, _at least according to the hair stylist, haircut that consisted of hair barely brushing her shoulders. Some had been good (Umi and Fuu had approved), some had been bad (Kakeru and Masaru had practically crawled up the walls because they'd believed that she was trying to look _pretty_ for the boys) and some had been neutral (she still wondered at the odd look that Satoru had given her then – maybe he'd been on to something; he'd always been attuned to her thoughts and feelings, more so than the rest of her excitable family).

And that really just brought her to where she was today – one head taller, five years older and…well with shinier and prettier, waist length hair that made Umi proud each time she remembered to remark upon it. In just a few years it was going to be back to its original length once more and…

...and then what?

Hikaru really didn't know. Unless the future didn't spell _Cephiro _once more, she didn't know if she actually looked forward to anything.

* * *

"What do you mean you can't come with us, Hikaru? Surely your schedule can't be this busy to have to delay our weekly girl's night out. You still have _seven hours_ to change your mind!"

Hikaru sighed. Umi wasn't going to go down peacefully this time. It had been silly of her to assume that a semblance of compromise would do.

"We'll go out tomorrow, I promise! It's just that today I'm so swamped with things – Megumi begged me to go and help her with her bridal's dress and you know how nervous she is about her upcoming wedding. Mom and dad have a business dinner at our house later on and Satoru asked me to come and help with preparations." She grabbed her comfortable sweater from the couch and awkwardly tried to slip it over her head, while keeping her voice even. "He's not too sure he can let me close to the kitchen after last month's disaster but other chores await me nonetheless."

On the other side of the phone Umi chuckled. Hikaru sniffed haughtily. "It _wasn't_ that bad!" She'd just burned the kitchen a little…considerably less than last time and the time before when Kakeru had gotten his hands on the phone, determined to call the fire department before the so called unstoppable flames spread to the living room.

"Sure it wasn't. Look, I see that you're busy today so Fuu and I will let you off…"

"Thank you!"

"…even though it's a Friday and girl's night out and lots of fun! That means that we're going to get pampered and have fun until we're ready to burst, Hikaru! You're going to miss it!"

_Miss Umi!_ Fuu exclaimed from the other side of the phone, voice muffled but with a distinct motherly feel to it. _That's not a nice thing to say. It's harmless fun…not a die worthy cause._

_Yeah, yeah Fuu. I know – no one is going to burst anything…and what did I tell you just a few moments ago? Drop the miss! _"So are you _sure_ you don't want to come, Hikaru?"

Hikaru blew the hair out of her eyes and _laughed_. They were back to square one. "Goodbye, Umi! See you in a few days…"

Huff. "Have fun window shopping."

_Like she really meant that_, Hikaru thought setting the phone back in the cradle and making a short list of to do's before Megumi and Mio came to pick her up and occupy the rest of her day. There were still some dishes needing to be washed from the night before, her brush was nowhere to be found and she was still running around in only her favorite sweater…not to mention that with all the phone calls and people she had had to talk to until now she hadn't eaten a thing and she was starving!

Another moment and she would collapse.

In other words she was pretty much screwed if she didn't do something soon.

With agility given only by experience – and the knowledge that she was always late no matter what – she sprinted over the couch and into the bedroom to pick something at least moderately decent (because anything was better than her undergarments) before her friends used their spare keys and things got ugly.

Normally, she would've given a passing thought to a more feminine choice of attire but now was as far out of normality as it went. It was shopping day with her former high school classmates and that meant serious business – Hikaru was _not_ going to let herself be dragged everywhere to look at dozens upon dozens of dresses, shoes and whatever else sparkled and looked pretty without decent preparations.

She pulled her jeans on without a second thought, determined to find at least one pair of comfy shoes – behind the couch would be the best place to start too – and then attack the fridge mercilessly and hope that the chicken salad hadn't run away yet.

Considering how long she'd kept that thing in there, she would be surprised if it didn't suddenly jump to attack her back. It wasn't the best thing to eat either. Maybe she would be better off with just a piece of candy to last her until she could stop and eat something with the girls…many, _many_ hours from now.

It was a no win situation she thought sadly, pulling the mirror pendant - a sort of daily routine for her - from underneath her blouse to brush her fingers against the polished surface tenderly. Times like these she wished that she had someone to take care of her and chase the shadows out of her life forever.

_And just like that she had passed from food with murderous intent to her old flame, unrelated in any sense or form whatsoever, thoroughly managing to add a few shades of grey to her colorful world. _

"You probably don't even think of me anymore." Hikaru mumbled to herself, clutching her most precious – _and tangible_ – memory to her chest tightly. "I didn't ask for your protection at all these years. I was a good girl and grew up all by myself, took care of my mistakes and faced the hardships of ordinary days without you here to cast a shield around me. Don't you hate me, Lantis? Some lover I've been."

_Well, at least she'd been a faithful, if neglectful, lover and kept both their love confessions burning brightly in her heart. Pun and all intended._

Hikaru smiled to herself, a hollow lift of the corner of her lips that didn't do much good to put her in any of her previous good disposition. If anything, it made her want to curl up in a corner of the couch and have herself a good bout of crying until her heart stopped aching and filled back up with lighter feelings.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, where a persistent headache was building, and carefully considered her possibilities: she'd sulked, moped, reminisced, mulled over her pathetic love life, or lack of, and all in all she had five minutes until life came barging at her door demanding presence in row call. Almost literally.

And she _still_ hadn't eaten anything!

Sadsad_sad_…

This was not her morning.

* * *

She'd been following him for a long time now, three sunrises if precision counted for anything, and he'd allowed it. Up to a certain point of course. It had been easy to keep his curiosity in check when she didn't even bother to make contact at all.

He would've passed her off as a spy from his old master had her tracking skills been…well, for a lack of a more indulgent term, _passable_. His old master wouldn't have bothered himself with less than perfection for this job.

There was no killing intent directed towards him, no curse seals and no blood magic in the air to give him any clue of what she was – a swordsman, a mage, a witch, a mere traveler following him for the benefit of a faster and more reliable path.

Precaution called for patience. He had other, more, important matters to attend to and his goal was so close that dismissing a tracker was nearly nothing to him now. It was just a matter of traveling half a day more…just half a day more until he could reach the flaming volcano situated deep in the heart of the land. He didn't need any trouble, especially seeing how he'd decided to travel like a normal Cephirean – grounded – through the forest route to draw less attention to himself until the last possible moment.

But, alas, curiosity called for knowledge. It had never denied itself such and three days was a long time to go without. Besides, it was too tiresome.

He drew his stallion to a halt, pulling sharply on the reigns. It was time to end this nonsense once and for all - the last threads of patience were close to snapping. "How much longer do you plan to follow me? Your silence is bothering. If you have a quarrel with me, then come out and face me."

The element of surprise must've been too _much_ of a surprise for her, Lantis thought sardonically, because she easily traded away her position with a strangled gasp and a futile effort to disappear in the shadows. Her life force fluctuated wildly, a living and trembling force which he knew too well…

_But that was impossible._

"_You_," he jumped down, placing a calming hand on Saigon to ease the animal's anxiety, and used a basic summoning form to call her out from her hiding place. She stepped out, unwilling and ashamed but under the call of the powerful compulsion, her face a bright shade of pink, and Lantis suddenly found himself at a loss of what to say.

_Because she was standing in front of him like a shy village girl, with her hands demurely clasped in front of her, and he had no idea why she, of all people, would be following him._

"Don't send me back, please!" Sierra implored, feeling her embarrassment increase a notch in front of the Kail's – almost – bewildered look. This was not how she had intended on revealing herself. "Please…" she tried a more controlled approach.

So, maybe, he wouldn't consider her insane. Or worse – a complete idiot. It wasn't out of the question considering that she had practically stalked him for the better part of the road without a warning.

"I'm sorry I followed you like that but I was sure that Clef wouldn't let me leave willingly with you if I asked. I overheard your discussion and…"

"Why?" He crossed his arms and regarded her unyieldingly.

Sierra bowed her head and bit her lip painfully. "Because I can't take loving him anymore. I can't take watching him _worship, think of,_ Umi everyday of his life and I don't want to feel jealous about it anymore." She'd battled herself long enough, hated Clef hard enough for not loving her sister either…for being so cursedly clueless about everything but Umi. Hot tears slipped down her cheeks, bruising up her already battered pride more. "Please understand. I can't be this horrible person anymore. And…you're leaving. You're going to find Hikaru. I want to see her too. Cephiro holds nothing for me anymore…"

The silence that followed was deafening. Sierra didn't even dare raise her head to look at him because any moment now, she was sure, he would demand that she return to the castle where she belonged. She didn't want to see his eyes when he forced her to go back…those unrelenting eyes of his.

"Is this really what you want?"

She blinked up at him, her vision blurry with tears, and nodded slowly. She hadn't expected understanding on his part but, for some reason, he wasn't discouraging her and that was enough.

"Yes. Please take me with you. I'm not afraid of Rayearth. My will is strong enough and I won't be a burden to you."

And just like that, as if please was the magic incantation to break all bonds, Sierra found the will to breathe and control her own limbs. The atmosphere thawed almost visibly, giving more color to the surrounding forest, and the sword smith realized that Lantis must've pulled back the wards that had affected her movement.

Magic always had a strange effect on nature.

"Fine," Lantis passed a hand through his hair and regarded her thoughtfully from underneath long bangs.

Sierra watched him back, slightly fascinated by the almost open play of emotions on his face. He seemed not to know what to do with her and that was most definitely strange…she'd only seem him this open when he'd been with Hikaru. A long time ago it seemed.

"I suppose you can…act as my sister if worse comes to pass."

"Sister? But we look nothing alike." Still, she understood the worse he talked about – there were guards all throughout Cephiro, had been since the defeat of Debonair. They made villagers sleep easily at night. But would anyone believe them if they tried to pass of as siblings?

Lantis turned to half smile at her, small and almost not there and extended his hand as an invitation. Sierra understood though why Hikaru had fallen in love with him. "You're forgetting perhaps about Princess Emeraude and Ferio…"

Sierra stepped forward and blushed when he easily raised her on the saddle like she was nothing. Then blushed again, because there was really no end to all her silliness at the moment, when she realized her obvious mistake.

"Sorry. I'd forgotten about them."

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Bet you weren't expecting this. xDD

_Edit:_ This site is experiencing issues...serious issues. It nearly deleted all my chapters...I'm reuploading all of them so stay calm! xD


	3. Chapter 3

I'm slow but getting somewhere hopefully. At least I'm not abandoning this story. I actually feel very inspired to write more and more chapters...to actually get to see the end of this story.

I hope you like the outcome of this chapter. Events are slowly unfolding - prepare to be surprised by what came out of my writer's mind. xD

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Part 3

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The heat was unbearable to the point where Lantis was beginning to feel _almost_ sorry for any victim that Hikaru had made during her time as a Magic Knight; fire curled around him in circles that sparked brightly as they came in contact with his armor - or what was left of it anyway - and the shrine seemed an infinite sea of blooming red and blazing orange with a life of its own. His eyes stung simply because they were open.

He dug blunt nails into his palms and tried to ignore the metal bits that stuck to his hands and scorched his skin painfully. It wouldn't really surprise him if it started peeling away with the material of his gloves. Next to him Sierra was clutching his arm, bravely trying to ignore the way the flames burned hotly all around them.

The fact that they weren't dead yet spoke of the Beast God's patience and knowledge of who they were. Which was why they were actually still standing before him - very much alive - instead of using their own magic to protect themselves from him.

Lantis had heard that the pretenders before him hadn't been so lucky.

"Thou must really cherish the Red Knight to have come all the way here knowing that I could easily dispose of you at will. Thou are as brave as she is." Rayearth growled at them from his position perched on top of the cliff that overlooked the lava floors around them. Lantis noted to himself that angering the god was a bit too consequential for his liking.

"You make that sound as a threat." Sierra spoke up, feeling like she was stepping on glass shards. The feeling in her gut churned almost painfully when Rayearth turned to look at her and she clung to her companion just a little tighter.

_Her fingers itched to try out a minor cooling spell. Just a slight breeze and nothing more. But Lantis had warned her beforehand not to try anything that might trigger any hidden wards...the backlash of a foolishly used spell could very well be their undoing._

"There is nothing to fear as long as your hearts are pure and your will is strong." The great lion growled, a vibrating rumble that made the - rather unsteady - floor beneath them ripple like water.

Sierra could tell that Lantis's heart hadn't skipped even a beat...but that was maybe because hers was - so loud - ready to sprint out of her chest and run _thumping_ far far away. When all this was over and done with, she was going to have to learn to take a page from his book. _Obviously_, throwing oneself into battle so many times had resulted in a sort of detached sense of observation.

"We have come to humbly request passage to the alternate world of the Magic Knights." Lantis intoned gravely, mentally reaching out to calm the jittery bursts of golden energy that danced around the sword smith. Her energy was easily shaped and molded into what he wanted. "Your power is great." He added simply, as if that explained everything and more.

"Thou have a lot of faith in me Kail. Only the Pillar herself has ever used such a complicated spell as to cross boundaries into another world; what makes thou think that I can use it as well?"

Lantis ignored the stab of impatience and regarded him coolly. "It is merely a logical conclusion. The Pillar is supposed to be the strongest magical being in all of the land but that is merely an erroneous assumption. A simple folk tale purposely allowed to circulate through the land in order to make people feel more secure with their lives. Because despite her power, the Pillar can be easily killed by the Magic Knights - vessels used for the Rune Gods to release their powers."

He smiled mockingly - a smile Sierra was seeing more and more these days - allowing her a glimpse of the thinly veiled satisfaction just barely hidden beneath. "Therefore...the strongest magical beings in Cephiro would be you, the Rune-Gods. If you need more incentive, then perhaps I should also add that _there is no pillar anymore_. Thus the ancient law concerning forbidden spells should be a moot point as well."

Rayearth barked a laugh - literally - and Sierra swallowed thickly as she came to the conclusion that all of what Lantis has said was too much a truth to be even part lie. It was shameful, but she had never thought of it this way before.

_This made Lantis even more different than what she had believed him to be. She had witnessed his power and skill on the battlefield but had never considered the sharp wit and shrewd mind that hid beneath the exterior. Come to think of it...Lantis was probably very dangerous on the whole._

She felt a chill travel down her spine despite the intense heat.

"Thou are an interesting mage, Kail Lantis. Thou possess an insight that most fighters lack - it takes no magic to understand why _Hikaru_ felt so strongly about thou."

"Then," it was the use of the name that gave Sierra the spine to press forward bravely. "you will let us pass?" Surely, if there was a mirror portal it had to be somewhere in the shrine. If not, and the answer to crossing onto _Earth_ lay in words rather than more physical objects, surely all they had to do was ask. Rayearth could only say no and throw them out painfully...

From the side, Lantis threw her a covert look but left it only at that. Sierra knew that it meant he trusted her enough to leave her be.

"Thou are impatient human."

It must've been the semi-awful day she'd had - being caught sneaking around like a thief after she'd plowed her way through thorny bushes, arriving to the shrine, being dragged inside against her will and then having to experience what it was like to be standing in the middle of a fire - that gave her a waspish edge to her temper. "As far as I'm concerned, I've been patient enough all day long!"

She squeezed Lantis's arm and felt more felt than saw his amusement. He knew what was coming apparently - a man's natural instinct when it came to a cranky woman. "Your element is turning the ends of my hair into a fuzzy brush and my clothes and dignity are almost gone now. At least if you want us to wait and play charades with you, let us breathe properly!"

A heart beat. Another. Sierra straightened her back, crossed her arms and raised her chin a notch. Presea would've been so proud.

Rayearth laughed openly this time. It was a rough sound that showed them both he hadn't done _that_ in quite a while now.

Sierra inwardly humphed again, anger still burning in her veins, and wondered why of all things she had to be caught in a sweltering room with two amused males. Human or not.

"Very well. Kail Lantis, younger brother of the former high priest Zagato, Soushi Sierra, younger sister of Fal Presea, do you truly wish to leave Cephiro?"

"It is the only request I have ever made of the Gods." Lantis responded so sure of himself that Sierra thought her own determination fell short next to his. He would cross heaven and hell if it would take him to what he wanted.

"I do. I want to see Hikaru and live in the same world that she does." She pushed back the doubts that seemed to suddenly appear out of nowhere, audaciously lining themselves in a neat row for proper inspection. They hadn't been there before and Sierra surely didn't intend to panic and back down now of all times. She was no small, frightened child!

It was probably the response that was expected, because the flames around them increased once more - so much for her earlier request, Sierra thought staunchly - slowly taking the form of a spiraling hurricane right before their eyes.

Sierra could positively feel Lantis's anticipation, like a living and breathing entity. He was waiting so hard for _something_ to happen that his entire body was tense like a bow.

Rayearth's booming voice nearly gave her the scare of her life. "Then prove yourselves in front of me. Show before me the strength of your hearts that wish to transcend this world for the sake of love and friendship, show before me the strength of your hearts that will make your own desires come true. _Show me!_"

Before Sierra could grasp what the Rune-God intended, Rayearth launched himself at them and Lantis pulled her close and threw his cape over both to shield them from the brunt of the impact.

And then they were falling...and darkness was engulfing all their senses.

* * *

"This is going so much faster than I expected!" Megumi chattered excitedly, jumping from one foot to the other like a child who had just been told that he could have his candy and eat it as well. "This one is perfect! _Too_ perfect! Aoi won't be able to take his eyes off of me."

"Megumi! Stop fussing already!" Mio implored, trying desperately to make her friend see reason. "You're going to fall if you keep doing that and then we won't have a wedding but a hospital break. We haven't even paid for your wedding dress yet! Hikaru is trying on her new dress too but I'm not hearing a squeak from her side of the curtain _unlike you_! What do you - _stop moving already girl!_"

In the changing booth Hikaru snickered to herself and tried to imagine the usually poised Megumi bouncing madly on that - poor defenseless - short stool. Maybe next time Mio would actually listen to her and _not_ give strong coffee and sugar to a person who had been banished from a coffee shop and two bakeries due to scary circumstances that involved bad coffee and too much sugar...and harassing the employees because their beverages sucked.

She smoothed the wrinkles of her gown and thought that she had matured a lot during the years. First, because she wasn't jumping around in excitement like Megumi and two because she actually had the curves to pull off this type of dress. _Finally!_

The dress went beyond the world beautiful in her vocabulary. Maybe because it was a very light, soft corn silk color and very reminiscent of Emeraude's beautiful dress. The same soft material, the same ethereal look and so light that she could barely feel it on her. She especially loved the bell like sleeves that left her shoulders bare and the delicate beads that adorned her midriff. Just the length of the dress was a little bothersome because she would have to lift it to walk and dance, even in heels, but on the whole it compensated by being backless and very, very sexy.

It was all she could do not to constantly run her hands over it. She felt like a princess.

Hikaru wryly wondered if anyone could tell that Megumi had chosen this one for her. It was daring...very, _very_ daring. Maybe it wasn't that hard to know after all...

Masaru and Kakeru would have a fit when they saw her at this. Thank God that they couldn't come to the party, being otherwise occupied with their own social lives. They probably would've nagged her all night long to cover herself and bundle up. _Heaven forbid she catch a cold...or a man or something._

She giggled to herself, feeling completely unprepared by the sickly sensation that hit all of a sudden, with enough driving force to nearly knock her off her feet. As it was, Hikaru was forced to find her stability by grabbing the edges of the round mirror to keep herself upright.

Her stomach roiled and Hikaru covered her mouth and tried to keep the need to throw up at bay. It was harder than she'd expected. Calling the girls, or anyone for that matter, was out of the question.

_Girl from another world...Magic Knight, open thy eyes and do not be scared for it is only I. Magic Knight..._

Hikaru raised her head so fast that she nearly sprained something. Staring back at her from the mirror was a ghost of the past.

_"Rayearth?"_

* * *

Round and round the mulberry bush...does anyone predict what I'm about to write I wonder? I don't and I'm the author of this thing. I'm twisting things to a scary degree even for me - I think I'm way off track from what I had originally planned.


	4. Chapter 4

The plot thickens! Let us remember some beloved first season characters shall we?

* * *

Part 4

* * *

Everything felt like lead. Heavy...he couldn't find the strength to stand up and worry about the whereabouts of Sierra. His armored plate and shoulder pads - now whole once more by sheer magic - pressed on his bones painfully and the cape that fell loosely around him was stifling and too warm for his liking.

_He was probably a pathetic sight. Putting a brave front for Rayearth and then showing such weakness without anyone even breaking his defenses. Hadn't he promised himself that he would find Hikaru?_

Lantis forced his eyes open and braced his hands against the darkness beneath him - hopefully it was steady enough to support his weight - tenuously pushing himself upwards in an awkward kneeling position. It wasn't easy, not even perfect to make it worthwhile, but it was the best he could do with what he had. And that was a very persistent headache.

It felt like he'd been hit by a stampede of wild horses. He pressed his palm against the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, trying to make sense of the ominous feeling weighing heavily down on him. Like his impeding doom was just around the corner and he didn't know it yet.

Slowly, he curled his fingers around the hilt of his sword, listening to the rasp of metal as the edges brushed against his belt, and carefully stood up, ready to summon his light blade should something spring upon him suddenly. He was in an unfamiliar and, most likely, hostile world and he'd allowed himself to sit for too long with his guard so blatantly down.

His body still felt the after-effects of being dropped from a considerable height, the walls of the cave spun with strange colors of black and violet and the painful feeling in his chest only intensified as the moments passed in eerie silence. _He could face monsters with little effort and even less magic; had faced demons and witches before and had come out victorious in the end - there were not enough healers in all of Cephiro to hide the scars he bore now on his back, scars that whispered of many small wars. But there was something infinitely more dangerous about this place and challenge then even he liked._

Lantis whirled around, almost blurring, and willed his sword to come alive in his hands...and if soul magic hadn't been the basis on which all his weapons worked, he probably wouldn't have been able to parry the silent spell coming his way. As it was, he was pushed back only slightly, falling back on his quick reflexes.

_Which was good really, because the person who had attacked him was more than enough to make him reel back in mute shock. Even without the use of magic._

Mouth dry, he tried to swallow and failed miserably. The God Rayearth had known where to hit without too much effort apparently because this was indeed a challenge.

"Zagato. I didn't expect to meet you here."

His _dead_ brother smiled cruelly, hand outstretched, thin wisps of smoky magic still rising up from the tips. There was nothing there to pronounce him as a ghost, but nothing to announce him as a living being either. "Quaint. I did - especially since you are here to destroy me in order to get to _your_ Magic Knight."

Zagato was nothing more than the reflection of a summoning chant, which showed that Rayearth did indeed possess enormous power; because few in Cephiro could afford to call on a dead man into the world of the living and even fewer could copy the very soul essence of a spirit which gave one magic. _He wasn't Zagato, but at the same time he was._

_And despite that, Lantis found that he wanted to smash something and very literally dug his fingers into his forehead, covering half his face in sorrow, to stop the tears from coming._ "This is unfair. You shouldn't be here. You're dead."

"Truly. I should be with Emeraude instead of having to find out that my own brother betrayed me by falling in love with the very slip of a girl - that willful bitch - who killed the woman I loved."

Lantis glared frigidly through his fingers, managing to find his footing very, very _abruptly_. "Don't you _dare_ slander her. You might still have a hold on me as my brother, but it was not her fault, nor was it the fault of the other Knights. I have no qualms about fighting you if only to protect her honor."

He raised his sword at the same time his brother raised his hand once more.

"You won't win, little brother."

"I have no intention to," Lantis replied, eyes fierce and bright, "I only wish to stop you."

"Then come and show me how much stronger you are." Zagato shouted, eyes alight with a strange blood lust. "Let us fight for the honor of the women we both cherish and see who is right and who is wrong. _Night Strike!_"

It was coming. He was going to have to fight his only family. No choice, no time, think, act...

Lantis raised his sword and hardened his heart. "_Lightning Attack!_"

* * *

Sierra was really not in her element. It wasn't her day either...or maybe she wasn't fit for such a challenge as this. She _definitely_ wasn't prepared.

Presea let out a battle cry and brought the sword down over her, wholly intent on her cutting her in two, and Sierra had only a moment of reflection - to ask herself whether to kill or be killed - before her preservation instinct kicked in and she was forced to launch into a series of complicated back flips to keep her head attached to her shoulders. Not that it saved her from her _enemy_ who seemed intent on cutting something. One way or another.

"Presea, wake up! Why are you doing this?" Sierra panted, catching her sister's hands in hers and successfully avoiding another deadly slash. "It's me! Don't you remember me anymore?"

Presea brought her knee up, sinking it into her stomach and despite the agony that zinged through her body, Sierra twisted sideways and slammed her foot into the back of her sister's knee, shuddering in horror when Presea screamed. Shrill and full of pain.

Something had given, she was sure. She wanted to die. She'd hurt her sister and she'd done it with the inborn knowledge that this was what she was supposed to do to prove herself to the Rune God Rayearth.

The shifting patterns on the wall caught the tip of the blade and Sierra cursed herself for not remembering earlier to take the sword from Presea's hand. With the only weapon they had out of the way, using hand to hand combat wouldn't hurt as much. Fighting bare-handed was not her strong point, and Presea probably had a good chance to do some serious damage before the battle was done, but it was better than being slowly shredded to bits and pieces.

Already her shoulder hurt from where the metal had bitten into the skin - shallow but effective and bloody - and there was a large gash on her hipbone and another similar one marring her temple.

Without a doubt that Presea had always been the better fighter between them.

Sierra threw herself forward, hissing inwardly when the long sword grazed her hand, and slammed into her opponent, using her full weight to throw her sister into the nearest wall. At least in theory. Practice came back to bite her where it hurt and Sierra discovered that _doll-like_ Presea was more dangerous than the real one had ever been in the sense that she didn't mind any type of pain inflicted on her.

Instead of losing her balance as had been expected, Presea crashed into the wall and, using her hands as leverage, pushed herself back towards her at frightening speed. And Sierra didn't realize it until the sharp blade buried itself into her shoulder sending them both sprawling to the ground in a tangle of limbs, clothes and hair.

_This time it was Sierra who screamed. Screamed because everything hurt, because her purpose seemed so far away and because Presea was looming over her, sword held tightly in clenched hands and a dead look in her once beautiful eyes._

* * *

"Rayearth?" It was a name from another world; one that had never existed, that no one knew of, in another language that she had never learned and yet one she could understand as clear as day.

Nothing had sounded so familiar in a long time now. Hikaru felt like coming home.

"Indeed it is I, girl from another world. Thou are most difficult to come across." Rayearth admitted - almost dryly dare she think it - amidst a sea of blazing flames.

She wanted to laugh and sob at the same time and between the two, Hikaru chose to fall to her knees in front of the mirror, too weak and powerless to do anything but bask in the light of the past. Vaguely, she was aware that her thighs were trembling and that her head was spinning with too much information...she couldn't think clearly enough.

"Gather thy wits, Magic Knight," Rayearth ordered gravely, padding forward in an almost feline fashion, "Thy companions require thy help to surpass the trials that have been set before them for they can not face them alone and hope to win."

Instantly, she was on her feet, panicked and flustered and above all embarrassed that while she was hung up on this..."What's wrong with Umi and Fuu? Are they alright?" Had they been summoned to Cephiro again? Had anything from another world attacked them here in this one?

Hikaru didn't know how it was possible that Rayearth was here, in her world, but if he could come through the portal that separated Cephiro from Earth, then anything else was liable to follow through. Just like Debonair had infiltrated in her subconscious so many years ago without her being able to do anything.

"Thy friends are unharmed, girl. They are not the companions that I am referring to. Kail Lantis and Soushi Sierra require your support..."

Her world came to a halt even as her heart dropped to her stomach and then started doing strange little flips and flops that were _far_ from normal. Love and tremulous expectations flooded her heart and she pressed her fingers hard against the smooth surface of the mirror as if to pass through it.

"Soushi Sierra?" It was a wonder that her addled mind was able to ask about that bit first.

"Twin sister of Fal Presea, Master Sword smith of Cephiro. Thou, Magic Knight, met her during thy second return to Cephiro. She pretended to be her own sister to spare thy tender feelings."

Hikaru took a deep breath, shocked and not really able to make sense of _all_ that, and then pressed one hand against her forehead. "What?"

Rayearth's voice dropped an octave and in it Hikaru thought she almost heard pity. "The dead can not be revived in Cephiro, Hikaru, not even by the Pillar. Guru Clef lied about Fal Presea's revival to spare you and Palu Ascot from heartbreak and guilt. In truth, the Master Sword smith of Cephiro died that day in the Forest of Silence and her sister took the mantle and responsibilities. Even the name."

"Why?" Hikaru asked bleakly, feeling cold seep into the very essence of her soul. Presea was dead after all. _Gone._ Why? What had she ever done to anyone to not even deserve the possibility of a second chance at life?

And all this time...Clef...her sister.

"Because she did not want to see the Magic Knights cry." Rayearth reinforced calmly, content with taking his time.

Sierra was her real name. The one she had sacrificed for the happiness of total strangers - the same ones that had, indirectly, contributed to the death of Presea. It was probably, Hikaru though anguished, one of the few supreme sacrifices she had encountered in her lifespan. Had this woman really forfeited her identity for _their sakes_? Had she really been content to linger in the shadow of Presea's greatness?

She wiped at her damp cheeks roughly and pressed herself against the glass once more, more unshed tears shining in her eyes like broken stars. "It doesn't matter to me! Where are they? Lantis and _Sierra_? What can I do to help them? _Tell me please!_"

Rayearth raised one paw, arched his body towards the sky - tail unfurling - and launched towards the mirror, ramming into it full force.

It rippled like water and engulfed Hikaru before she could even think of screaming and she vaguely wondered if her life would ever stop being one enormous trip into the unknown.

A second later darkness opened underneath her.

* * *

I'm not filler-ing things up! They will meet in the next chapter. xDD


	5. Chapter 5

I've been away from this story too much. I haven't felt so attached to a story in a long time...it's been a pleasure to write this chapter. Very emotional and full of action.

See you guys next year! Have a happy New Year!

* * *

Part 5

* * *

If Hikaru could've, she would've clawed at a wall or something...just to release some of the anxiety boiling steadily in her blood. Or screamed. Yes, screaming had a certain appeal at the moment - stuck in a dark void with no one around, clueless, wanting, yearning to see her friends. She wanted to see Lantis and have him finally take her into his strong arms and...

Her heart pounded wildly and her mind found all the possible - and some rather improbable - outcomes of what he _could_ do to her...thoughts of a yet to be woman; Hikaru wanted nothing more than to blame them on her hormones and the fact that she was still a virgin - three guesses why - and thus more predisposed to the _what ifs_ and the _maybes_.

She whirled around just as the magic in the void concentrated in a single spot, in front of her, and Hikaru could almost feel it as it shimmered bright and gold against her bare arms.

It burned. In the cold nothingness, magic scorched her skin and settled around her body like a great shield of purifying energy.

Awed, she watched as it curved and curled into light patterns and symbols, growing bigger and bigger by the moment; it seemed to want to outgrow her and her neck was already beginning to feel sore from the way she was gawking at it upwards...right, left, _everywhere_.

Already it was twice her size and still evolving into something more. The patterns were turning black with pronounced golden edges...glowing glowing glowing.

Hikaru made an inarticulate sound of surprise and stepped back, shielding her eyes as the light turned everything around her a blinding white; only for a moment - but between all the things that seemed to be taking her back into the realm of fantasy again, it seemed much longer - and then there was comforting darkness once more and she opened her eyes and came face to face with herself. Or better said with her mirrored self.

She gawked again. _Another mirror? What the..._

Her dress shuffled as she moved and pressed her hands against the polished surface, blinking at the eerie sense of deja vu. This was happening way too many times for her liking...in just one day of course. She sincerely hoped that she wasn't going to get sucked in again.

"Rayearth?" Hikaru bit her lips for a moment, wondering just how much time had passed since she'd fallen into Rayearth's realm; wondered if Lantis and Sierra were suffering right at this moment because she was busy admiring pretty lights and sparkling spells. "Rayearth? Please...my friends. Is Lantis alright? Sierra?" She asked more desperately, tapping the glass, and belatedly sending Sierra a prayer of forgiveness for putting her second.

Hikaru felt an itch under her skin; her stomach knotted tightly and she swallowed.

_"Thy friends are struggling but they are strong. Thou should not doubt them so, girl from another world."_

_Wasn't she here because they needed help? Of course she worried...if only she had her sword. She felt so exposed without it - her security and strength lay in the sharpness of her blade and the help it could provide to those who needed it_ Hikaru clenched her hands.

_"Thou must not interfere yet, Magic Knight. Thou are only an observer..."_

She pursed her lips and anger swelled in her bosom. It was so intense that she saw red. Literally. "And watch them get hurt? _How can you even insinuate such a thing?_ I can't just sit aside and let anything happen to them, Rayearth."

She was on the verge of screaming and she didn't even care if he decided to strike her down.

_"Thou must allow them to prove their worth to me."_ Rayearth continued, not at all perturbed by her passionate outburst - they probably shared it seeing as how their magic was fire based. _"Thou, Magic Knight, are my insurance."_

Hikaru opened her mouth to shout, caught herself, blinked and gaped.

"What?"

The mirror glowed and turned opaque and Hikaru squeaked as it focused on a very familiar face. Sierra...in double exemplary actually. Two of Sierra, or two of Presea depending on one's view, who were fighting like there was no tomorrow. Kicking, punching, grunting, panting and using the only sword they had to cut each other into ribbons.

_This went beyond what her stretch of imagination could come up with. And she'd fought herself once before so this was, supposedly, nothing new to her._

Hikaru glued herself to the mirror - it would've been comical if at that exact moment one of those Pre...err, Sierras hadn't slammed her elbow into the other's gut - and winced at the shrill screams, banshee-like almost, that bordered on deafening. Blood flew and splattered on the glass and Hikaru pushed herself back, horrified to find splatters of red on her hands and dress too.

Bile rose in her throat and all she could do was stare at the moving picture before her; hoping that comprehension would come out of thin air and hit her straight on.

"What is _this_?" She asked no one in particular; tears gathered at the corner of her eyes and _God forbid she felt like crying again._

Rayearth materialized next to her, not looking like he felt much of anything at the gruesome sight. _One Sierra pulled the hair of the other and the latter smashed the heel of her palm into the other's jaw and dug her nails into her opponent's skin, drawing more blood_. Of course, he was a lion. Human expressions were probably not something he could show so easily.

"Rayearth, is this like me and Nova? Isn't Presea...?"

"Dead. Without a doubt Magic Knight. I used a summoning spell to recreate Fal Presea down to the very way she fights and thinks. The only difference is that I could not bring back her emotions as well. She is merely a doll."

Hikaru's lower lip trembled. "Why?"

"Because Soushi Sierra wished so hard to prove herself so she could come into thy world, Magic Knight."

Surprise. Shock. Stupefaction.

All that and more she felt and it probably showed on her face. Rayearth was watching her closely, probably gouging for reactions.

Suddenly, all the pieces fell together. Hikaru threaded her hands through her hair and turned towards the scene of the battle, barely suppressing the urge to run through the mirror and help both her friends, dead or not.

"Then, Sierra wants to come to Earth? She can do that?"

Rayearth dipped his head affirmatively. "Yes. But it was not she who wanted to come to Earth most desperately."

Hikaru's pulse sped up and she thought that she wouldn't be _so_ surprised if it just jumped out of her ribcage and zoomed away. "Lantis?"

The naked longing in her voice startled even herself, who hadn't thought that she could love his memory more than she already did. _Her heart ached with the sudden need to see him. Knowing that he was struggling to get to her, willing to die for her even now (even though he could've easily moved on with another and simply forgotten about her - a mere girl who was too far away for him to reach anyway), loving her so strongly still, shattered her silent resolve not to drop to her knees and cry out for him like a child._

"He is fighting for you; waiting. Even though he does not know it. Thou are my insurance for their courage. If thou are here, there is naught to fear. Thou give them courage."

Hikaru turned to look at him but managed only to fix her stare on a blank spot beyond; then, as if in a daze, she threw herself towards the mirror and slammed her shoulder into the glass, trying desperately to break it into pieces.

"Sierra! Presea! That's enough! _Please_, stop fighting. Make them stop!" Yet again, she turned towards Rayearth, uncharacteristically hysterical and wild. "I've had enough of people fighting for me! _Sierra brought her foot down and crushed Presea's hand; the latter ignored the pain - like it hadn't happened, like they weren't sisters fighting like crazed wildcats - and used her free hand to grab her sister's foot and bring her down. Then she threw herself over her opponent and clawed at her chest and arms until her clothes and skin were in near tatters._

"Only thou can do something."

"Make them stop _now_!" She screamed.

A beam of light burst forth from her chest and zinged through the mirror.

* * *

This was it, Sierra thought, feeling utterly defeated. This was _it._ She was not able to stand up to the Rune God's expectations and she would never see Hikaru or anyone else ever again. What a failure she was.

Maybe, she thought watching as her sister found the long sword they'd both been fighting for like lunatics, maybe, Lantis was doing better than she was. Maybe he could come for her when all of this was over and pick up her torn body and give her a nice funeral next to her elder sister. And she could tell Presea, in that better place where surely her sister was, that she wasn't at fault at all for this mess.

Presea raised her sword over her head, hands tight around the jewel encrusted hilt, eyes turbulent, teeth bared, and Sierra giggled to herself...and then she realized that she was suffering from severe head trauma (probably from when Presea had fisted her hand in her hair and proceeded to throw her into any hard surface she could find) and that she was delusional.

_And she hadn't thought of Clef one bit through this._ She giggled again, watching at the deadly weapon began its descent towards her. _What a lousy time to realize that she didn't love him as much as she'd believed...or maybe she didn't love him at all anymore? Hell, she'd thought of Hikaru and Lantis these last few days, more than she'd thought of the Master Mage in the last month or so! Oops._

She clenched her eyes shut and waited for the blow to come. When the pain didn't come, Sierra decided that probably terror had altered the passing of time for her and waited some more...and waited and waited _and waited_.

Sierra cracked one eye open and wondered if she was dead already. If she was, she gave Presea credit for being a really swift killer. If not, then her head wound had just gotten worse, because her sister wasn't there anymore.

Her left arm - bruised and battered - twitched subtly at her side and she moved her legs surreptitiously, feeling like she was oddly nuts because she was still waiting for Presea to leap out from a dark corner; cackling like a witch.

_That hit to the head had seriously addled something important,_ she thought, standing up painfully slow. Her back hurt, her legs and arms hurt and everything else in between was close to feeling numb from blood loss and repeated abuse.

Despite that, Presea was nowhere to be found. And Sierra really doubted that her sister could blend in with the surroundings so well as to disappear in the swirls of green and black.

"Sierra!" tapping, tapping, ugh, who was tapping on her nerves? "Sierra, look up! It's me, Hikaru."

Oh goody! More illusions to take in. Now she was imagining Hikaru's voice - her desires were probably getting the best of her.

She looked up and nearly fell backwards as Hikaru met her eyes, wide-eyed, worried and visibly saddened. There was a mirror separating them in the _ceiling_ and magic and...

It shouldn't have been possible! It couldn't be possible for Hikaru to be here. Things hadn't been that simple for years. Sierra briefly contemplated smacking her head into something hard and durable.

"Hikaru?"

"Thank God, you're alright!" The former Magic Knight cried, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. "When I saw Presea standing above you, poised to kill, I thought that I was too late to do anything to stop her." Hikaru hoped that Sierra wouldn't ask how she'd done it, because it was so secret that not even she knew how she'd managed to manipulate that beam of energy to work in her favor.

It had hurt almost physically to watch one of her friends dissolve into thin smoke, but she knew that Presea wouldn't have hesitated to do it either; for the sake of her younger sibling.

"How hurt are you?" Hikaru continued, knowing that her presence here was probably something that would've left anyone gaping at her. The mirror was engraved in the ceiling for God's sakes! Even in Cephiro, this probably didn't meet the lowered standards of normality. "Can you stand?"

_Can you not ask so many questions at once? Can't you see that she's not ready for an interrogatory?_

Hikaru pursed her lips and mentally checked her own curiosity. Right. Not the time.

"I...think so. My head hurts," Sierra groaned, standing up. A bout of dizziness claimed her and she felt the determination that had given her the boost to fight, fade away. She sat back down, crossed her legs clumsily - for balance - and tried very hard not to stare into space and instead ask a decent question.

After five years though, a question to comprise everything wasn't so forthcoming...

"Why are you here?"

Hikaru sighed, "Rayearth told me that you were in danger. I had to come..." She swallowed and her mind wandered back to Lantis.

"For us?"

"Of course, silly! Aren't you and Lantis my dearest friends?"

Sierra stared at her and Hikaru turned a dark shade of red and stuttered.

"You must go to him."

"What?"

"Tell Rayearth to take you to where Lantis is, Hikaru!" She was so grown-up now, Sierra thought, taking in all the changes in her friend, with a smile. The years had passed and Hikaru was a woman now - capable of taking and making all her decisions with maturity and elegance. "I don't know why, but we were separated and I was brought here to fight my sister to prove myself to your Rune-God."

Now that she thought about it, Sierra was certain that Hikaru had called her by her real name. It hadn't been Presea, but Sierra.

She smiled widely and a warm feeling bloomed in her chest when Hikaru's eyes widened in surprise. _Some things never changed after all. She was still so pure and kind-hearted and proof lay in her very actions._

_And she still loved Lantis. It showed in her eyes._

"Surely, Lantis is in danger and needs your encouragement and love to see it through."

By now, Hikaru was an adorable shade of red, but still nodded vigorously to show her that she'd understood.

"But will you be...?"

"Don't worry for me," Sierra cut her off, clutching at one injured arm like it was her lifeline, "Rayearth owes me one for all the things he put me through today. I'm going to make sure that healing will be the first favor he does for me." _She felt a little like Clef right now. All she had to do was crouch down a bit to give her corny speech attitude. Short but...brave. Oh well._

It was Hikaru's turn to stare back.

Should she feel sorry for Rayearth?

"Go!" Sierra shouted.

Hikaru squeaked in surprise and turned to look behind her, where her Rune-God should've been, and felt the magic around her _shudder_; the image in the mirror blurred and faded altogether and Hikaru - ignoring the ridiculousness of the situation - flew back to the mirror, searching beyond the glass for some glimpse.

Just a little. He was definitely strong enough. He was definitely waiting for her to come and rescue him this time. Without a doubt.

The mirror glowed a second time and she didn't bother to shield her eyes against the brightness, too desperate to care anymore.

Waiting was torture enough for her.

* * *

It was dark on the other side of the cave. A dreary, cold place, barely lit by anything...Hikaru wished she could see better. Wished that she had supernatural powers that she knew how to use.

She pushed her long hair out of her eyes and undid her braid, seeing as how her fluttery movements had already done most of the job and her hair was all over the place.

"How much longer do you think you'll be able to hide from me, little brother?"

Hikaru felt her hackles rise, knowing that whoever had spoken couldn't see her, but still unable to stop her body from responding to the familiar - _dangerous_ - undertones.

It wasn't Lantis. _No_. But even an eternity after, she would forever remember that there was someone else who shared her beloved's voice, someone so tragically familiar...but it was impossible. She'd killed him with her own two hands.

He was dead.

_But so was Presea,_ whispered a persistent little voice in her head. _That didn't stop Rayearth from using her as a puppet._

"You know I could easily blast this place to pieces. It would be a quick and painless death for you."

She could only see shadows. An imposing figure standing somewhere close to her, casting shadows over the walls and limiting her view of the rest of the room. For some reason, her unease grew by the second - and she was afraid to give it a name. If she was right and this was who she thought he was...Hikaru shivered.

How could she look at him?

"I will not give my life up for a long forgotten war. Besides," Hikaru's heart clenched and something lodged in her throat, making breathing difficult and painful. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed _that_ voice. "unlike you, I have a reason to keep on living. Please, step aside."

The rasp of metal had a distinct ring to it; especially amplified by the tension floating in the air. Someone was breathing heavily.

Hikaru wondered, with growing trepidation, if fireworks were going to start. Zagato was anything but patient.

"So you want to be reunited with your little Magic Knight, Lantis?"

_Thump thump thump._

When there was no response forthcoming, Zagato turned around and started walking slowly, in what she thought to be a scouting move; wildly, she looked around - as far as the mirror allowed her - and fervently prayed that Lantis was nowhere near.

"What do you two have in common? You merely spent a few days together, just barely declared your fickle love for one another before she was whisked away to her world. What's to say that she hasn't found another love by now?"

Hikaru's hackles rose again along with the indignation and the desire to hiss and pounce him like a cat. _She'd always been told that she acted just like one...now was the perfect time prove it. How dare Zagato try to deceive Lantis about her? She had a good mind to deck him and then shout for the whole world to hear that there was no one else. No one!_

Where was an exit from this thing? She wanted to skip being just an observer and jump to being an angry woman with a mind of her own.

There was no answer again. Hikaru gulped and told herself that surely it was nothing. Lantis probably didn't want to give his position away by talking.

It didn't really work.

What if he decided that she wasn't worth more trouble? What if he _listened_ to his brother and returned to Cephiro?

She moved a little and her pendant caught the light around her, lighting Zagato's smirk. Hikaru drew back abruptly but when the High Priest didn't even blink, it became clear that the light trick had been only something visible on her side...or maybe Rayearth's magic was keeping her safe and hidden.

"That was cheap, coming from you brother," Lantis replied with barely suppressed disdain.

Zagato moved again and blue lightning formed in the center of his outstretched palm, casting more eerie shadows along the deformed walls...but also revealing Lantis's angry expression and his rigid posture. Kneeling on the floor, body bent forward, hand gripping the handle of his soul sword so hard that his knuckles were a pale shade of white.

For a long time, Hikaru's whole world was comprised only of him. Slowly, she kneeled.

He'd not changed one bit. His mouth was firm and full, eyes violet and dark, his profile patrician with high cheekbones and a strong bone structure...she swallowed her tears - conveniently choosing to ignore that she'd been acting like an emotion driven ninny all day and was still at it even now.

His shoulders were still as broad as she remembered them to be and he could _still_ crush her in his embrace with ease. She'd probably get lost in those arms if she attempted to hug him, Hikaru thought with a tender smile. A first.

But, her smile turned down, she was sure that he was injured. Worry pulled at her heart strings and Hikaru had one moment to wonder if she was bipolar, before Lantis stood up and the full extent of all his cuts and bruises were revealed to her. There was a large rip in his cape, his chest plate was burned and cracked just above his heart...

Hikaru felt a bitter taste in her mouth.

"Don't tell me your lies." Lantis growled, voice low in timbre. "You are not my real brother - simply my challenge to overcome. It's you only because the Rune-God knew that you were one of my few weaknesses.."

"That's tough." Zagato commented flippantly, uncaring and cold, "Shouldn't your Magic Knight be here to help you finish me then? She did a good job the first time..."

Surprise turned to sadness, regret and consequentially guilt.

This was all because of her. She had to do something to right the situation and stop these two from killing each other because of her. Because everything - this whole useless battle between Sierra and Presea, Lantis and Zagato - had begun just because of the heart's desire. And the heart controlled everything in Cephiro.

Hesitantly, she splayed her hands on the mirror, feeling coolness at the tips of her fingers, slowly gathering her power and the courage; the innate knowledge of the strength of her own heart that had made her worthy of becoming the Pillar of Cephiro.

"I'm sorry."

The mirror glowed again - third time was a charm - and Hikaru thought that it was reacting to her emotions.

On the other side of the mirror, Zagato tensed and Lantis drew his sword.

Hikaru merely smiled. And prayed.

_Thy heart decides thy future,_ Rayearth's voice resounded in her head as clearly as if he was right next to her, _Magic Knight and Pillar of Cephiro._

"I'm sorry that we did not know better. Umi, Fuu...we all had no right to come into Cephiro and proclaim ourselves as the Magic Knights and saviors of your world." These words had been her burden for years - she'd always wanted to apologize for the horrible injustice that Cephiro had caused. "Umi and Fuu cried so much when they were alone. I did too."

Lantis flinched violently and used the wall nearest to him for support. His eyes were haunted and Hikaru knew that he was probably remembering their exchange in the hallway.

He'd known then that she too had suffered and had told her so. He'd been so kind to her. So forgiving.

Only one of the many reasons why she'd fallen for him so hard and fast.

"I am sorry that Princess Emeraude was so chained to Cephiro and that all she could do was pray for the safety and happiness of others." _The most marvelous thing was happening - she was glowing. A soft, pink light. It was warm._ "I am however not sorry that I became a Magic Knight and defeated Debonair. I'm not sorry that I met so many wonderful people like Clef, Ferio, Presea, Sierra or Lafarga and Caldina and Ascot..." so many names, so many faces and memories, "I even loved Primera and I'm sure that she loved me as well despite how antsy she was always around me."

Zagato narrowed his eyes at her and Hikaru realized that she was probably becoming slowly visible like she'd done with Sierra. Her heart swelled with emotions - courage, determination, love and faith.

Behind his brother, Lantis pushed himself forward, naked longing written in his eyes, mouth slightly parted, her name on his tongue.

Hikaru felt her heart speed up again.

_Like he was undressing her with his smouldering gaze and touching her with phantom hands. She felt hot..._

"I'm sorry that you don't aprove of my love for Lantis and I guess that you'll be even more disappointed to find out that I love him more than I did five years ago. Actually he's one of the reasons why I allowed Rayearth to bring me here."

She extended her hands forward and her energy enveloped him, spinning in loose circles around him. Zagato drew back and pulled his cape around him securely, as if to protect himself from her powers. "What are you doing?" he hissed venomously.

Hikaru smiled and a wisp of her dark, red hair brushed against her face, lifted by invisible winds. Her dress rose from the ground and fluttered around her as well and she told herself that the fact that she was still wearing her old sneakers was not a reason for embarrassment. There were other things to worry about...

...it wasn't very flattering though

"Saving both of you from this useless hate between you. Stopping you before you say something that you don't really mean." Her voice softened and the magic extended to the walls and floor, sweeping over all of them like a gentle caress. "You don't really hate Lantis and he doesn't really want to kill you. He was probably devastated when you died."

Lantis's mind merged with hers and the warmth around her became a sweltering heat that traveled downwards from head to toe. She almost thought that they had become one.

"That's why...I'm going to send you to Princess Emeraude so you can be with her." Zagato's visage visibly softened at the mention of _her_ name and Hikaru felt the pain of such a tragic romance.

"Why?"

"Because you don't want to be here anymore than I or Lantis do. We all just want to live peacefully. So goodbye, Zagato."

The magic around them exploded, turning everything a dazzling white and Hikaru thought it was ridiculous that she should feel so tired from just a...simple magic spell.

Her body slumped forward and she toppled to the ground unconscious.

* * *

Whoot! A love that transcends time and space. I was evil and ended here. Sorry...I think that 4900 and more words are quite enough to make it up for the wait. ^^;


	6. Chapter 6

Terribly sorry for the lateness...I haven't abandoned this story. Not by far! I just had exams for a month or so and then my muses needed a short vacation to regroup. I was forced to give it to them.

Have fun with this new chapter. Things are starting to get interesting. New love complications. But for who? xD

* * *

Part 6

* * *

Her first thought - it was a wonder she could still do it seeing that she was feeling like she could just curl around herself and keel - was that, without a doubt, she was sporting the most horrible and persistent headache in the history of killer headaches.

It was a record as far as Hikaru was concerned. Few people could brag about feeling like they'd been repeatedly slammed against a wall without having actually been touched by anything...excepting a teensy, itsy bit of magic.

Did that count? She wondered...

_"Hikaru? Hikaru, wake up. It's me. Open your eyes, please."_

Hikaru groaned mentally and tried to grab that last bit of sweet unconsciousness, hoping to quietly sink into it unnoticed. The buzz in her ears was too loud and too annoying and she really wanted to go back to Lantis and Sierra who were quiet and comforting and warm...

* * *

Fuu had never been more grateful to see Hikaru struggling to open her eyes. Ever. Not even during Cephiro had her dearest friend scared her like this. At least, in the land of magic, there were always good reasons for passing out several times a day - getting stabbed, punched, shocked, frozen, electrocuted, passing out from on overload of terrifying information etc etc.

And they'd generally always been together during those times. Hikaru, Umi and herself. They'd supported each other during the hard times in their lives and none could ever say otherwise. But now...Fuu's heart clenched and she gently pushed away long strands of red from her friend's face, trying to calm herself as best as possible.

Now, her only warning had been a call from Megumi and Mio - a bit too weepy and hysterical for her nerves - claiming that Hikaru had suddenly fainted in the changing booth and that she _wouldn't wake up_.

It was one of those frightening phone calls, which no one ever wanted to receive. Something that only happened to others whom they didn't know.

What had followed, the next two hours or so, had gone by in a blur. She had forbidden the girls to call Hikaru's brothers - worrying that pandemonium would break if Satoru, Kakeru and Masaru heard about _this_ - and then she and Umi had practically broken all the circulation rules, and then some, in their hurry to get to the bridal store and see for themselves what it was all about.

They had found Hikaru sprawled on a white couch, everything but her flame colored hair blending in with the pale color easily, with a panicked Megumi, a scared Mio and a distressed, nameless saleswoman fawning over her like a bunch of headless chickens - waving smelling salts under her nose, cooling her temples with water, burning incense and God knew what else.

Umi had put her foot down immediately - her blue blood and sharp tongue giving her an advantage over the scattered little group in the shop. In five minutes tops, she had given three concise orders, had paid for the dress which her friend was still wearing and with the help of the girls had gotten Hikaru to the nearest hospital...for an expert's opinion.

And to think that Hikaru was in Medical school too. What an idea. A doctor who needed the help of another doctor. It was logical that even future doctors got sick, but it was preposterous to think of it this way.

"Where am I?" Hikaru whispered, looking like she could sink and disappear into the bed. She'd grown, gotten taller, matured, but in such moments she looked fragile and breakable.

"You're at the hospital. You suddenly fainted in the changing booth and Umi and myself brought you here." Umi just had to be away talking with the doctors too. She had the worse timing possible, that girl.

Fuu scooted closer to the bed and checked for a fever or anything damning. But Hikaru was fine. She looked a little dazed, maybe a touch of pale still but for the most she looked like any normal person who'd suddenly woken up from a prolonged nap.

"Are you alright, Karu?" Her voice was trembling and now Fuu thought that she sounded a little weepy as well. She'd been high on adrenaline all morning. It couldn't be helped. "You scared us all so much...we had no idea what happened to you."

To her surprise, Hikaru smiled secretively and gave her the most blissful look a girl could muster. The array of emotions swimming in her eyes was almost enough to make Fuu reconsider about that fever issue...her friend didn't quite appear to be herself.

_It was almost like she had fallen in love all over again. But that was impossible. Fuu knew better than to believe that Hikaru had gotten past her love yet...or that she ever would. It was a small a problem that all three of them shared even after five years and it didn't look like it was going to go away anytime soon. So, out of the question._

"Hikaru?"

"I saw Lantis." The former Fire Knight admitted dreamily. Color rushed to her face and she blushed faintly, looking for all the world like she was in la-la land. She reached up to play with Fuu's long hair and sighed. "He loves me still. I can't believe it..."

Who could? Fuu herself felt about ready to fall over at the - less than expected - news of this supposed reunion.

She was more inclined to believe that Hikaru had fallen in love again, with someone _other_ than Lantis. She was afraid to believe...believing in love had only brought her sadness and a broken heart to top it off. It was still hard to mention Ferio's name, even if only in a whisper and now Hikaru was telling her to believe that, somehow, the gateway between Earth and Cephiro had been activated once more.

Fuu squashed all hope and decided to prod into the issue.

Hikaru wasn't the type to lie - knowing how very painful this subject was to both of them especially - and she wasn't the type to hallucinate either. A dream perhaps?

"Hikaru," Fuu breathed, disbelief written in her eyes. "I know..."

"Don't tell me it was a dream, Fuu." Hikaru iterated, immovable despite her soft countenance. "I know what I saw, what I felt. We didn't manage to say a word to each other but just looking at him for a moment was enough for me. Having him look at me the way I am now." She trailed off, flushing to the tip of her ears.

Fuu decided that whatever _might_ have happened between them was a bit too private for her to ask. Hikaru actually looked quite earnest in her embarrassment.

_Where was Umi when you needed her? **Worst** timing in history._

"But how, miss Hikaru?" She didn't notice when she reverted to her old habits, her mind too busy coming up with possible scenarios and ideas for this sudden anomaly in the energy shield that surrounded both Earth and Cephiro. "It's been so long. Why now?"

Hikaru tried to sit up, to find a better position for herself - because she knew that this would take _a while_ to explain, especially since some of the facts she'd deduced herself and they still needed tweaking here and there - and Fuu sat up, grabbing a hold of her shoulders and helping her lean against the headboard.

Which was how Umi found them when she entered the room. Hikaru waved at her weakly and Fuu was pleased to notice that Umi seemed to perk up immediately - going from tired and worried to attentive and cheerful.

She rushed to the bed, a blur of blue, and knelt down next to Hikaru's bedside, cupping her face in her hands, looking for any signs that anything was visibly wrong.

"You're awake! You nearly scared me into an early grave." Thank God the brothers didn't know. It had been a wise decision from Fuu's part to keep them in the dark for a short while. "Are you alright? Are you feeling better? Should I call the doctor?"

Fuu shushed her, mainly because Hikaru looked like she was in pain - Umi was too excited to tone down her voice in any way - but also because she knew that a doctor's intervention now would spoil everything. "Miss Umi, Hikaru has something to tell us."

"Can't it wait?" Umi inquired, still cuddling her giggling friend like a mother hen. From her point thought, Fuu could easily say that Hikaru seemed to be doing the calming down procedure on Umi...not the other way around. "I'm sure that an examination would be in order now."

"Three words," Fuu said primly, knowing that if _this_ didn't get the bluenette's attention, nothing would. "_Urgent knight business_."

Umi blinked. And blinked again. And then some more.

Fuu could tell that the information hadn't quite-

_"What?"_

-sunken in yet. Or maybe she'd thought about it too soon.

Hikaru laughed like a child on Christmas day and covered Umi's hands with her own; simply _glowing_. "Umi, you wouldn't believe it! I saw Lantis!"

That kind of attitude, Fuu thought with a resigned sigh, was so cheery that it could actually pass off as malicious. Though Hikaru was genuinely happy - and also genuinely unable to be malicious or evil in any way.

It still didn't change the fact that Umi looked about ready was to pass out from an overdose of shocking information. All cramped in three words - short and efficient.

"Don't faint!" Fuu warned, fearing that - with Umi's sudden pallor - she would soon need a bed next to Hikaru's to lie on as well.

"I don't think I can," Umi put a hand over her forehead, looking like she was checking herself for a fever as well. Then..."Can sleeping people actually faint?"

Hikaru face-faulted and Fuu sighed. Again.

One would think that after all the things they'd seen and heard, nothing would surprise them anymore. Go figure...

"Miss Hikaru, I think we all better sit down so you can tell us _exactly_ what you saw."

As soon as she knew where to start and what to say, Hikaru was all for that suggestion.

* * *

Satoru couldn't believe that he'd managed to get himself caught in the middle of this ridiculous situation.

Granted, he'd allowed the situation to degenerate into something far too ugly to back out from without any repercussions and now he just had to take things calmly. As he usually did when life raised the stakes and actually managed to catch him off-guard.

It had all started with Umi. Actually, Hikaru was the original cause of it all. At least he thought so - every time he wanted to place the blame, his rational mind came up with reasons why it wasn't fair to accuse anyone but himself and his cold ways with women.

Umi and Fuu were rare gems as far as he was concerned. Beautiful, kind, smart, from good families - all in all resembling his sister in many ways - and better yet, they were obviously sincere in their intentions concerning Hikaru. He'd never had anything to reproach to either of them...

Until Umi had introduced her former fencing captain - Sayuri, he reminded himself tersely - to his family, a few months ago. She'd been everything he'd expected from a high-class girl; everything he'd expected from a friend of Umi's.

He hadn't much paid her attention during their first meeting, choosing to let Hikaru make small talk and exchange pleasantries. It had been an ordinary day, with classes to teach and his clinically insane - except Hikaru and their _dog_ - family to keep in check...he'd never once suspected then that the girl would feel instantly attracted to him. And act on it afterward with the type of determination he wanted to see in his students...not necessarily his fans.

She hadn't been shy about it either, making it as clear as possible - any more and he should've been daft not to notice - that she liked him.

At first, she'd chosen to come with Umi and Fuu to visit _his sister_ weekly. She hadn't talked to him unless forced to and he'd ignored her some more, unaware of the strange turn that things would take in a few months.

One sunny spring day, a Friday, he remembered belatedly, he'd seen her on the street, watching the cherry blossoms fall. Etiquette and good manners had prodded him to at least say hello to her.

He'd ended up with more than he'd bargained for when she'd turned a pale shade of pink - surprise or more? - and invited him to watch a movie with her ten minutes later.

Short to say that he hadn't lied to her about being busy. Although he hadn't told her the truth either - about how she didn't make his pulse speed up or how she didn't awaken random butterflies in his stomach.

He'd been pretty blunt with her after their third date though. Sayuri, he'd discovered, was the type of girl he would've liked to fall in love with and perhaps marry later on - he was only twenty five but he wasn't getting any younger - but, sadly, also nothing more than another pretty girl in his eyes.

Masaru had told him once that his way with women was anything but ordinary. Or, to put it bluntly - what he considered to be a casual date once in a while, with the added benefit of occasional sex to relieve the tension, women around him took as a serious, blooming love.

Satoru admitted to himself that fifty percent of all this was definitely his fault, because he hadn't made his thoughts on the matter known until now. The rest of it was split between Umi, Hikaru and some unknown deity out there.

And Sayuri who hadn't minded his bluntness one bit but had instead met him halfway, claiming that she really liked him and that if he would allow it, she'd love enough for the both of them.

It was twisted and wrong. He was obviously immune to love. Or maybe it was a strange gene he shared with Hikaru, because Masaru and Kakeru definitely didn't suffer from it, while their parents could compete with Umi's parents when it came to the _'eternal honeymoon'_.

He hadn't met that someone special and he was starting to fear that he never would.

Sayuri would eventually see that...and her heart was going to suffer when she realized that special didn't apply to her.

"You're ignoring me again, you know. You always do that when you go into your own little world." Sayuri leaned forward, clasped her hands beneath her chin and angled her head a bit to take a better look at him. "What are you thinking about?"

Satoru half-smiled at her and pushed his dark thoughts at the back of his mind, pretending that everything was fine in his life. "Nothing. We have a kendo match with another school next week."

As expected, swords and fighting always drew in his _girlfriend_ and she wasted no time in abandoning the former question to inquire about tactics and strategies. Satoru couldn't have been more grateful for her delicacy...or lack of concentration. He was really in no mood to test how fragile their relationship was.

"One hot chocolate, two cups of green tea, one red bean ice cream and, of course, chocolate pocky for you Satoru."

Complication number two, or Yoshiyuki as everyone called him, tapped Sayuri on the shoulder jovially, looking inordinately pleased with how she squeaked and turned in her seat to slap his hand away and take the tray of sweets away from him. As far as Satoru was concerned, it was probably the best choice of action. Before something broke and he had to pay for it.

Though, how scaring the woman you loved into an early grave, could put such a wide smile on anyone's face was a mystery in itself.

Love manifested itself in very strange ways..

"Sit down Yoshiyuki," Satoru intoned, giving his best friend a scathing look. "You're not being funny."

At least - caught in this strange love triangle as he was, inexplicably so - he had the consolation of pocky and chocolate. He ran a dojo, he was Japanese to the core and he loved tea as much as the next person...but chocolate was a guilty pleasure. He took a sip, careful not to overdo it and burn himself, and allowed himself a moment of disconnection from the real world.

_Everyone had a vice. Satoru had chocolate - not necessarily the epitome of healthiness. But there were worse things to worry about._

Besides, it served to strenghten his nerves for the scathing insults that were going to start coming soon. Too soon...

"How unbelievable can you be?" Sayuri hissed, looking for all the world like she could just strangle someone. "When are you going to get over those high school pranks and start acting seriously? Like Satoru! You're supposed to be best friends aren't you?" She grabbed ahold of the ice cream glass, dragging it across the table with a painfully squeaking sound.

Painful to his ears of course.

Yoshiyuki smiled disarmingly at her, green eyes bright in the afternoon sun. "Now is that any way to talk to your boyfriend's best friend?" He waggled a finger in front of her face, all prim and proper like an older brother. "Rather unladylike of you Sa-yu-ri. Satoru might think badly about you."

Sayuri turned a new - and before her uninvented - shade of red at the veiled reminder. Satoru sighed, set down the cup of chocolate and brought his foot down under the table, careful to inflict as much damage as possible.

Judging by the yelp that followed, it was safe to say Yoshiyuki had felt that one like a blow to the gut. Good. He knew of Satoru's problem and, ignoring his own unrequited feelings, he went and did these things to make the atmosphere uncomfortable.

Though, Satoru supposed deep inside that this, far from being a form of buffoonery, was Yoshiyuki's way of drawing attention to himself. And a sort of punishment for Sayuri who was as clueless as possible about his feelings for her.

"How mean of you! Doing that to your best friend in the whole wide world."

"Are you going to play that card for the reminder of today?"

"No. It's obviously not working with you." Yoshiyuki stuck out his tongue and Satoru counted to three and reminded himself that payback would come, fair and square, in the dojo.

"Are you sure you two aren't pulling my leg with this friendship bit?" Sayuri asked suspiciously, guessing correctly what had just happened between them.

"Sometimes, I wonder that myself." Satoru teased, making sure to keep his smile in check. Yoshiyuki's put off expression was more than worth it.

He reached for the phone buzzing in his pocket and silenced both his companions with one look. _Because being tall and intimidating could have its advantages._

"Satoru speaking."

"Admit that you can't live without me." Yoshiyuki whispered conspiratorially, knowing that Sayuri wouldn't retort. She wouldn't...she had too much respect for Satoru to go against his will in any way.

_It was his bad luck that she couldn't have the same respect for him as well. He would've switched places with his childhood friend without blinking if it meant earning such devotion from a beautiful woman. This particular one interested him especially._

As expected, the blue of her eyes darkened and she pursed her lips angrily, letting him know with one look that he was going to get it later. He wasn't particularly afraid - he'd met Satoru when he'd been five, as a student of his father's dojo and he could hold his own against her even if she was serious - which she never was.

She didn't have a sword to hit him over the head with and when it came to mock play, he was twice her size and just as strong.

Ah, but if she insisted, he would have to pin her down and...Yoshiyuki grimaced to himself and stuffed a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, hoping that the cold would shake him from his self-induced fantasies. This was what he got if he thought too much about the issues.

He looked surreptitiously at Sayuri - _again_ - and sourly noticed that she was gazing at Satoru; beautiful and peaceful.

"Mio, slow down, I can't understand what you're saying. Is Megumi with you? Pass the phone over to her."

Yoshiyuki searched his memory and vaguely remembered two friends of Hikaru's. Ah, his little sister figure. He perked up and leaned closer to the phone, removing Satoru's fingers from the speaker to shamelessly listen in.

With half of his mouth he took as sip of his tea and winked at Sayuri whose jaw seemed to have clattered to the floor.

What? He'd known the stubborn man for almost as much as she had lived. There were privileges to being a childhood buddy.

_"Satoru? It's me, Megumi. Don't let Mio panic you with her excited rambling. Hikaru suffered a minor fainting spell a few hours ago..."_

Yoshiyuki choked on his mouthful of tea and Satoru covered his mouth and growled at him to be silent so he could hear.

_"Now don't worry. She's __fine_. Umi and Fuu insisted that we not worry you when they took her to the hospital and the doctor called a few moments ago to tell us that she woke up and is fine and dandy. She laughed, a muffled and nervous sound that made both men impatient.

"Me-gu-mi." Satoru growled, obviously losing the little bit of patience left. Yoshiyuki thought that the way he punctuated every syllable was really really bad. "_What_ happened to my sister?"

* * *

"Wow!" Umi breathed..."I can't believe that all _that_ happened in the span of just two hours."

"I didn't know that Lantis loved you so much." Fuu crooned, forgetting herself, blushing to the tip of her ears. "It's just like one of those romance manga."

Hikaru couldn't help a small blush herself. When they put it that way...it sounded like she'd had a roll in the hay or something.

Her blush intensified painfully. Where was Lantis? Was he actually coming for her? Was he somewhere in this world with her? Looking at the same sky, breathing the same air? And what was she going to _do_ when she saw him again?

Obviously, she was an adult and they'd both waited for so long to be together and...

"Hikaru?" Umi stood up and pressed the heel of her palm against the redhead's forehead. "Are you alright? Are you running a fever after all? Your face is so hot!"

"She may be running a fever," Fuu smiled, a strange glint in her eyes, "Or maybe we're intruding on some personal fantasies...oops, I mean thoughts about Mister Lantis."

_"Fuu!"_ Hikaru and Umi chorused in disbelief.

Fuu laughed behind her hand, mentally patting herself on the back.

They were so easy to tease sometimes.

Besides, laughter made not thinking about Ferio easier. Umi probably needed it too, just as much, even if she didn't quite realize it.

And she was sure that Hikaru knew it too. She'd been so reserved during her storytelling, as if she'd been trying not to tell things the way they were, trying not to sweeten the renewal of her love.

Fuu was grateful but...

"Hey, Fuu? Umi?" Hikaru patted her own face, probably trying to coax that exaggerate amount of blood to return to its rightful place. Then she smiled...one of those Hikaru smiles that made everything all right. Like magic. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that if Lantis can come to me through Rayearth, other can do the same through _other_ gods. It's just a matter of time."

The two former Magic Knights stiffened self-consciously and an awkward sort of silence fell over the room; Hikaru struggled to keep her sunny smile up and not _twitch_.

_A knife to cut the tension would've been nice..._

Umi was the first to pull herself together. She mirrored her friend's smile, trying desperately to project it to a still frozen Fuu. "And just when did you become so aware of everything, Karu? You were cuter when you were small, naive and lost." She sighed and passed a hand through her hair warily. "Let us keep our small secrets."

"Nonsense" Hikaru perked, sensing that this change in disposition could be exploited to her advantage. "Don't you trust Clef and Ferio?"

"Yes." Mumbled a distraught Umi, trying to remember when she'd _ever_ mentioned Clef's name exactly in their conversations. She was drawing blanks and it annoyed her!

"Hikaru has a point, Umi." Fuu offered reluctantly. "With the way things are progressing, we shouldn't be too surprised if our respective love interests were to suddenly fall through the ceiling."

"Fuu!" Umi groaned, "you're not helping." How could she be so blasé about this? Okay, so maybe her serious friend _was_ blushing but that didn't excuse her. _Love interests?_

"Oh, but then you'll be able to have your own teeny bopper Clef again, Umi!" Hikaru crooned, clasping her hands, hearts in her eyes. "Won't that be wonderful?"

"_You're not helping either, Hikaru!_" Umi cried, utterly horrified by the insane idea that the Master Mage might've retained his _height deficiencies_.

Fuu had to really laugh at _that_ mental image.

* * *

"Our plane lands in an hour. What are you thinking of so? You're so serious!" That was pretty much a moot point. She'd rarely seen him anything _but_ serious - and that black sharp suit, along with the long coat draped over his shoulders only seemed to enhance his mysterious side...and his charm.

One over-attentive stewardess had stopped by their seats at least five times to inquire whether they wanted anything _else_. When _she'd_ answered no, she'd gotten the killer look.

Until Kiyoshi had also given that stewardess a look that told her to keep away or _else_...Mai hadn't seen her ever since; some good twenty minutes ago. Her _brother_ definitely made good use of those sharp eyes of his.

She grinned to herself, not minding one bit that he still looked preoccupied by the passing clouds and not about her earlier question. She'd just been teasing him and he knew it.

"Are you thinking of her? Our cute little Hikaru?" She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and took a sip of her orange juice. "Worried?"

"Never," Kiyoshi answered flippantly. "Eager."

"Well, don't be so talkative in your excitement." Mai mumbled to herself, flicking a piece of lint from her cream colored skirt. "She'll remember you just fine with that attitude."

From the corner of her eyes she saw his lips curl upwards in a faint smile.

_Soon. Soon they'd be in Tokyo...he couldn't wait._

* * *

I'll dedicate the next chapter to the first person who guesses correctly just what role Kiyoshi and Mai play in this story. Who are they? Can you tell? Oh my...


	7. Chapter 7

I liiiiiiiiiiive! And I'm kicking and writing...I finally managed to find the missing muse for this story.

As agreed, I dedicate this chapter to the first person to guess correctly the identities of Kiyoshi and Mai! _shinomu_ and _airi1285_ congrats! Shinomu half guessed - with a small question mark there - and Airi pushed all doubts away. xDD

* * *

_Part 7_

* * *

Umi and Fuu were crying. Umi and Fuu were _crying_.

Hikaru felt decidedly disturbed that her friends were taking the issue so badly, but then again she could hardly blame them for being human and...well, soft-hearted. Like her. When she'd discovered the truth about Presea and Sierra - straight from Rayearth's mouth - she'd cried as well. And she'd been the one saving this particular tale for the end, knowing just what effect it would have on both of them.

Still, that didn't make her feel better at all. Actually, the more she looked at the tear tracks on Umi's face and the sheer heart-breaking sadness in Fuu's eyes, the more she felt like crying again. _Guilty._ Already her throat was closing up and there was this annoying itchy sensation behind her eyes that was slowly intensifying...

"You're taking this worse than I thought," She really shouldn't have told them herself. It should've been Sierra's story to tell. Hikaru was half afraid that her muddled explanations of why Sierra had been Presea and Presea had been _no more_ had only worsened everything.

Surreptitiously, she rubbed her eyes, taking advantage of the fact that her dearest friends were still busy gathering the scattered pieces of themselves. Once more, something Cephiro-related had come to haunt them...

How ironic. Hikaru couldn't wait to come face to face with her past once more...and yet here she was struggling not to cry over it as well. The feeling of happiness was almost painful in her chest, with slight hints of bittersweet memories, and she briefly entertained the possibility of being one of those strange persons who derived pleasure from pain. The thought made her shudder on the inside and she quickly batted away the possibility of _that_.

_Even though she'd gone back to Cephiro once more to save it - ignoring, and perhaps, gaining strength and growing in spirit and character with every wound, scratch, hex, heartbreak and memory. She'd fallen in love knowing that it would end up in hurt, fought herself knowing that it would only chip away at her mending heart, left her second home willingly because she couldn't just abandon her parents and brothers like that..._

Hikaru firmly clamped down her wayward thoughts.

"Sorry, Karu. I guess, I can't believe that I didn't realize it at all." Umi sniffled, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hands. "We only knew Presea - well, the _real_ one anyway - for a short time but I hoped that I would be able to tell her from another one way or another. Some Magic Knights we were..."

"And poor Miss Sierra," Fuu spoke quietly, twirling her fingers in her lap nervously. "I can't imagine what it must've been like to live in the shadow of her sister's greatness; not even being able to tell us her name at least."

They sighed as one and Hikaru briefly wondered if if it was pure coincidence that she and Fuu were on the same wavelength as far as lamentations went or if _everyone_ who knew the story thought the same way. Because the way her friend had worded out her own worries, sounded a bit too familiar for her liking.

"Yes, but I'm sure that neither Sierra nor Presea would want us to be sad over this." Hikaru reasoned with a half smile that was all understanding and sympathy. "So cheer up, Umi, Fuu! I'm sure she'll say the same thing to us when we meet her!"

Umi blinked, a bit dazed by the sudden change of subject, and slapped her forehead in exasperation. "Oh...right. I completely forgot about that."

Hikaru and Fuu smiled indulgently; though Umi's antiques were nothing new as far as they were concerned.

"How could you forget about that, Umi? It's only the most important even in our lives!"

"Maybe the most important even in your life, Karu! I'm..."

"...still waiting for Clef to come and rescue you, we know!"

"Fuu!"

"Oh, come on. Isn't that the most important even in your life, Miss Umi?" Fuu smiled, waving her hand carelessly.

"_Fu-u!_"

"Awwww! See? We're feeling better already!" Cheered Hikaru, determined to put behind her anything that could trouble her darling Umi and Fuu. Forcefully if needed.

"You mean you two are feeling better because you're having fun at my expense!" Umi loomed ominously over them, cracking her knuckles in a rather loud warning. "What kind of wacky friends do that? You're _cold_!"

"But Umi, you were the proclaimed Ice Queen of you former high school. Why am I in the wrong?"

"Smooth Hikaru...thanks for reminding me that!" The bluenette groaned, unconsciously throwing her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist. Hikaru didn't know whether to 'oooooh' and 'ahhhhh' over the elegance or point out the irony of the situation. With Umi, one could never know.

She could take it the wrong way _either way_.

"Best not tease her, if you don't want a chain reaction to start," Fuu mock whispered, as if knowing what she was thinking, making Hikaru smile behind her hand. "You know how sensible she is when it comes to rumors!"

"I am _not_!" Umi pounced on the bed, digging her nails in the bedding forcefully. Fuu squeaked as she nearly lost her balance - and a few years of her life - and Hikaru drew herself so close to the edge of the bed, that if the blonde hadn't caught her, she would've ended up prolonging her stay at the hospital...for a concussion and several bruises as well.

Both let out some very uncourteous words...half of which had been learned from Umi and the other half from Kakeru and Masaru's accidental slip-ups.

"First of all," Umi rectified - every bit the image of the evil witch she'd once wished to be, "They were rumors! _Evil_ rumors! Invented by mean and nasty people who were jealous of my," sparkle, shine, flick of her hair, "_inherent_ beauty and wonderful appeal! It _was_ an all-girls school and things like that were bound to fly!"

Both girls twitched at the _un_modest phrasing and Hikaru's eyes widened in horror when she felt the sheet beneath her start to _slip_ just a little.

Maybe it would've been safer if they had all been sobbing about past misgivings. Listening to Umi could not be healthy...

"Umi..."

"_Second of all!_" The self-proclaimed beauty continued in a high pitched tone. "I am not cold - I may rule over the element of water and ice, but I am not like that Alcyone person who was completely lacking in modesty and full of vain beauty. Certain people - like the ones who made up the rumors - weren't worth speaking to in the first place, so I saved myself some trouble!"

"You're not vain."

"Thank you!"

"...much."

"At all!" Growled a dangerously fierce Umi. "I'm high bred."

"A little help please?" Hikaru squeaked, feeling her back ache at the uncomfortable position. The bedsheets slipped some more.

The redhead started praying.

"And high maintenance?" Fuu inquired sweetly.

"You're doing it on purpose, aren't you?"

"Just trying to save you from the evils of a traumatic event, Miss Umi. Letting out your frustrations is good for the heart!" It was by sheer force of habit that Fuu found herself raising a hand to arrange her glasses and then clap her hands.

Her prelude when explaining a theory or a logical conclusion.

Unfortunately...also the prelude to disaster for Hikaru who, having nothing else to hold herself to and precariously dangling in mid-air, tumbled sideways and over the edge of the bed with a squeak.

Unexpectedly.

Suddenly.

Umi and Fuu froze and for a moment there was silence.

"Ow ow ow..._ouch_."

"Oh my God!"

"Miss Hikaru!"

The door nearly flew from its hinges and Satoru burst into the room, Kakeru, Masaru, Yoshiyuki and Sayuri hot on his heels, all of them flushed and breathing heavily from what appeared to be a serious race against time.

Everyone in the room froze again and Hikaru groaned from her position on the floor.

_She knew just what this would look like..._

"What the..."

"Sis!"

"Hikaru!"

"Now wait just a second," Umi tried to intervene, helplessly waving her arms around.

Hikaru thought that she looked like a headless chicken - and then mentally slapped herself for such a horrible thought.

"_Doctor!_ We need a doctor in here!"

"Wait! It's just a misunderstanding!" Fuu also offered, her voice high and feathery. Uncharacteristically panicked...

"Everyone stop yelling!" Hikaru shouted, covering her ears and pounding head. "It's a headache, not a terminal disease!"

* * *

"You're back! You're back!"

Mai squealed and nearly toppled over, as one of her oldest and dearest friends - and sometimes substitute mother - launched herself in her arms with the power of a rocket.

She should've known that walking into the kitchen unprepared, would lead to this disaster. "I'm happy to see you too, Emi. It seems like I haven't seen you in forever, but despite that, you're just the same as the day I left!" From her welcoming smile and shapely figure - which she only hoped she could still have as well when she was forty - to the chin length red hair and almond shaped eyes that were as black as a starless night.

"Your parents will be ecstatic to see you, young miss. Both you and your brother have been sorely missed around the estate."

Mai laughed. "Since when have you become so formal with me? We've just been gone a few months. I remember how you used to chase me around the house when I was little to try and stop me from breaking my scrawny neck on the marble floors."

Emi laughed and wiped her hands clean on the white towel, throwing it over her shoulder carelessly; Mai slipped into a high chair next to her and felt like she'd come home. Well, sort of...in a make belief sort of way. "True. I remember your brother sedately reading his book in a corner - so quiet and brooding - and you running around all over the place like a whirlwind...breaking things and graying my hair prematurely."

"I see I haven't succeeded." Mai continued, with a twinkle in her eyes. "Still looking good for your age."

"A number that should never be spoken in my presence," Emi grumbled in a good-natured fashion, with a similar teasing light in her dark eyes, "And where prey tell, young lady, is your brother hiding? I was eager to give a hug to my big teddy bear too..." Her voice faltered, "He isn't...there were no problems, right?"

Mai squeezed her hands and smiled reassuringly, "Of course there weren't! But you know how Kiyoshi is - he wanted to go and see dad right away. He has some," her smile took on a strange quality, "_things_ he wants to talk about with him..."

Emi raised an eyebrow, knowing that underlying tone too well. "Oh? Things?" She inquired suspiciously, pulling out a bag of flour, a bowl and some cooking utensils from the cupboard. "Pass me the milk and eggs please, will you? You still remember where things are in the fridge, don't you?"

"Har har. Very funny. How could I forget?" Mai rolled her eyes, already anticipating the elder woman's movements. "But I'll let that pass, in favor for those delicious pancakes only you can make."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, my dear," The redhead laughed tying her apron - a pink, _frilly_ thing which Mai remembered buying for her as a practical joke - and lifting her sleeves. "Now, you were saying something about your brother?"

"Oh," Mai replied cheerily, her voice muffled by the low buzz of the fridge, "Kiyoshi wants to get married!"

The bowl in Emi's hands dropped and shattered against the hard floor.

"_Excuse me_?"

"You'll absolutely love her! She's the most darling girl ever...sweet, kind, beautiful, strong! Father won't have anything to object." She emerged out of the fridge, trying to balance the carton of eggs and the box milk with one arm and the bowl of strawberries with the other. If anything, her excitement seemed to grow exponentially in front of Emi's flabbergasted expression.

And boy was it something, Mai thought, feeling pity for acting so biased about this whole matter. The poor woman looked like she was about to fall of her feet - obviously, the shock was too much for her and the information too sudden to be received any other way. After months of sparse conversations carried over the phone, at odd hours, Emi had to find out, from indirect sources, that one of the children whom she'd raised as her own was getting married...to a total stranger.

Mai reminded herself that not everyone had known about this arrangement for as long as she had. And that included Kiyoshi and herself who'd only recently seen the light and remembered just who they were and what they doing here. It had taken them one near brush with death, from a careless driver, and nearly their whole lives to remember but they had managed. Eventually.

Her amber eyes twinkled as she carefully deposited her fragile cargo on the table and popped a tasty strawberry in her mouth. Now for the _talk_...

_Lantis_ - ahem, her dearest brother owed her big time!

"But you've only been gone for four months!" The redhead babbled, dropping down to her knees to pick up the pieces of glass and batting away her friend's hands when she attempted to do the same, "Your mother has been pestering Kiyoshi to get married for _years_! I've seen all types of girls parade through this house and your brother has _never_ paid them any attention - all sophisticated ladies of high class and fine manners!"

Mai leaned her chin on her folded hands, cringing slightly as Emi nearly tripped over her own two feet in her rush to stand up and continue this conversation at eye level. "You sound like you've given up on him."

"God, yes!" Emi squealed, looking ridiculously like a teenager with a taste for gossip, "Do I _know_ this girl? Is she one of your mother's beauty pageant contestants?" Here Mai snorted - a more accurate truth had never been spoken.

Even if her mother always meant well and loved her children dearly.

"Did he meet her when you were both visiting your grandparents in Russia? Does your _grandfather_ even know about this? Well, young lady? Don't keep me waiting!" Emi pushed the strawberries towards her decisively and plopped into a chair next to her. Expectantly.

One eyebrow rose. "Are you trying to bribe me into telling you?"

"Double or nothing!"

"Half with maple syrup and half with chocolate...the strawberries are a bonus"

"Done deal!"

Mai grinned and popped another strawberry in her mouth.

"Her name is Hikaru. Shidou Hikaru..."

* * *

Isn't it nice to know that I can't make a simple plot to save my life? But you might be starting to see what's happening. I'm currently adding little clues here and there and everything will be explained later. ^^;

And...ahem! Kiyoshi and Mai are _half Russian_. Sexy! Yum! (wiggles eyebrow)


End file.
